Hair curler device



Oct. 30, 1956 F. .KRAUSS ET Ai..

HAIR CURLER DEVICE Filed'Nbv. 2Q 1953 United States Patent HAIR CURLER DEVICE Friedrich Krauss and Heinrich Krauss, Nurnberg, Germany Application November 2, 1953, Serial No. 389,698

9 Claims. (Cl. 132-40) The present invention relates to hair curlers. More particularly, the invention concerns a hair Vcurling device around which the hair may be wrapped while the device remains in a position normal to the scalp. A

Modern hair-dressing practices call for a curler device which enables strands of hair to be easily wrapped around the curler and which at the same time is effectively and easily secured to the scalp. It is also desirable that the manipulation of such curling devices be suiciently simple so as not to demand any particular skill in its use and, furthermore, should avoid the possibility of breaking the hair in the curling operation. Another prerequisite for an easily operated curler is that it must be able to be separated from the hair quickly and without putting the hair Vin disorder. A satisfactory curler device, moreover, should be of such construction that manipulation of the device causes only a minimum amount of discomfort or pain to the person whose hair is being treated, particularly in view-of the fact that the curling process, in which an average of 50 curlers are used, is generally of considerable duration.

Hair curlers of various constructions have been proposed and made in an attempt to satisfy the above requirements. However, the curler devices known heretofore all have the disadvantage that they do not afford a secure attachment to the hair and scalp, particularly during the process of drying the hair, and as a result the known devices have t-he tendency to easily fall out of engagement with the hair. Furthermore, certain known devices are not easily separated from the hair when desired, and quite often their removal cannot be accomplished without pulling out and breaking some of the hairs. Also, operation of the known devices usually requires a substantial amount of sensitive manipulation and skill.

It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide a hair curler device of the above type which overcomes the above disadvantages. e

It is another object of the present invention to provide a hair curler device which affords a secure yet easily releasable connection with the hair close to the scalp.

4It is another object of thepresent invention to provide a device of the above type which is easily manipulated, avoids discomfort to the person being treated, and which does not require any particular skill in its application.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from `the following description and the appended claims.

With the above objects in view the present invention comprises in its broadest aspects a hair curler device which includes in combination a tubular member adapted to have a strand of hair wound around the outer surface thereof and -to be located with one end thereof adjacent the scalp, a plurality of iieXible resilient elongated gripping members arranged in the tubular member, the elongated gripping members being movable substantially axially in the tubular member between inoperative positions retracted within the `tubular member and operative positions protruding laterally at the `one end of the tubular member in positions intersecting each other in pairs for gripping the hair between intersecting gripping members, the gripping members in their operative positions being adapted to support the tubular member with a curl of hair wound thereon in a position'substantially normal to the scalp and simultaneously preventing turning of the tubular member and unwinding of the hair wound thereon, and operating means for moving the gripping members between their operative and inoperative positions.

Preferably, in accordance with the invention, the tubular member is provided with a guide means at one end through which the gripping members are guided into their gripping positions. A particularly suitable form of the invention provides for the guide means to have guide channels which extend from the interior of the tubular member to the exterior thereof, the guide channels being arranged in pairs with the channels in each pair curving toward each other so that the grippingV members are guided into extended positions intersecting each other in pairs for gripping the hair between intersecting gripping members.

Ian accordance with the invention a slidable operating rod is mounted in the tubular member having its inner end connected to 'the gripping members, the operating rod being slidable along the axis of the tubular member for moving the gripping members between their inoperative positions retracted within the tubular member and their operative positions protruding from the tubular member.

The novel features which are considered as characteristie for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with th accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a view in elevation partly in section of a device constructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a View in elevation of the device shown in Fig. 3 is a top view of the device shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the device taken along the line A-A of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the guide plate of the device shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the guide plate shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a top view of the device shown in Fig. 2 showing the hair engaging members in operative position.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. l, a curler housing member 1 is shown, the curler member having a tubular form and being open at its bottom and covered at its top with a perforated cover plate 2. The tubular curler member 1 shown in the drawing is substantially in the shape of a hollow cylinder and has longi- -tudinal slots 3, as more clearly indicated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the slots being provided for the purpose of admitting air to the interior of curler member 1.

Cover plate 2 is provided with a central aperture in which a push -rod 4 is slidably mounted for movement substantially along the longitudinal axis of tubular curler member 1. Push rod 4 is provided at its outer end with a push button 5 for manual operation of the push rod, and is provided with a socket 6 at its inner end. Secured yto socket 6 is a number of elongated hair engaging memconverging central tubular portion and a lower diverging stepped portion to provide for suitable mounting of the plate in the bottom end of tubular member 1, plate 8 being force-fitted or otherwise secured to member 1.

As shown in the drawing, the grooves 9 arearranged in pairs, the grooves in each pair curving toward each other as they curve downwardly and approach the periphery of guide plate S. Fitted into the bottom of plate 8 is an end plate 1) which is upwardly convexly curved so as to fit into the bottom portion of plate 8 which is of corresponding curvature, end plate 10 thereby defining with grooves 9 in plate 8 channels through which hair engaging members 7 may be guided to their operative positions, as described below. Plates 8 and 10 are secured to each other by fasteners 11, which may be in the form of screws, pins or other suitable fasten- 'ing means, fitting into corresponding bores in the plates such as shown by recesses 12 in Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 1 shows the arrangement of the hair engaging members 7 when they are in their inoperative position retracted within tubular curler member 1, with the free ends of the hair engaging members 7 being substantially flush with the periphery 13 of guide plate 8, as shown in Fig. 2. When the push rod 4 is moved inwardly into tubular member 1, so that push button 5 has the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, hair engaging members 7 are moved through channels 9 and guided thereby into positions protruding outwardly and laterally of the lower end of tubular curler member 1, as more clearly shown in Fig. 7. In this figure, the hair engaging members 7 are illustrated in their operative positions for engaging the hair, the ends of members 7 being guided by grooves 9 so that they intersect in pairs, the hair being gripped between intersecting engaging members 7.

The operation of the above described device is as follows:

To curl the hair using the present device, the hair dresser draws from the head one moistened strand of hair after the other and wraps them around the outer surface of tubular member 1 while the member 1 is held perpendicular to the scalp. After the strands'of hair have been wrapped around member 1 and the curler member has been arranged with its lower end touching the scalp, push button 5 is operated to push rod 4 inwardly into curler member 1, with the result that the free ends of hair engaging members 7 are moved axially toward the other end of curler member I adjacent the scalp, the hair engaging members- 7 being'guided by the channels defined by guide plate 8 and end plate 10 into positions protruding in the manner shown in Fig. 7. As members 7 move into their protruding positions, they grip and securely hold the hair extending from the scalp, thus assuring a reliable connection between the perpendicularly arranged curler member 1 and the scalp. Afterv the curling process has been completed and the finished curl is dried and it is desired to remove the curler member 1 from the finished curl, push rod 4 is pulled out of member 1 into the position shown in Fig. l, thus causing hair engaging members 7 to be smoothly and quickly retracted into their respective channels 9 without causing any of the hairs to be caught, damaged or broken.

It is possible to modify the above described construction without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the hair engaging members 7 may be arranged in a different manner than as described above and shown in the drawing. These members may be so arranged so that they protrude from tubular member 1 without intersecting each other for individuallyl engaging the hair to hold the curler member in place. Such ian arrangement would also tend to facilitate the removal or the curler from the hair. Furthermore, the curler member 1 may be equipped with an operating member of a different type than push rod 4, as for example, by being provided with a turnable disk, shaft or similar element which when turned will cause the hair engaging members to protrude for gripping the hair.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of hair curler devices differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a tubular hair curler device, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A hair curler device, comprising, in combination, a tubular member adapted to have a strand of hair wound around the outer surface thereof and to be located with one end thereof adjacent the scalp; guide means at said end of said tubular member, said guide means defining guide channels extending from the interior of the tubular member to the exterior `at said one end thereof; a plurality of fiexible resilient elongated gripping members arranged in said tubular member, said elongated gripping members being movable substantially axially in said tubular member between inoperative positions retracted within said tubular member and operative positions protruding laterally at said one end of said tubular member, said gripping members passing through and being guided by said channels of said guide means when moved into their operative positions protruding from said tubular member intol positions intersecting each other in pairs for gripping the hair between intersecting gripping members, said gripping members in their operative positions being adapted to support said tubular member with a curl of hair wound thereon in a position substantially normal to the scalp and simultaneously preventing turning of said tubular member and unwinding of the hair wound thereon; and operating means for moving said gripping members between their operative and inoperative positions.

2. A hair curler device, comprising, in combination, a tubular -member adapted to have a strand of hair wound around the outer surface thereof and to be located with one end thereof adjacent the scalp; guide means at said end of said tubular member, said guide means defining guide channels extending from the interior of the tubular member to the exterior at said one end thereof; a plurality of flexible resilient elongated gripping members arranged in said tubular member, said elongated gripping members being movable substantially axially in said tubular member between inoperative positions retracted within said tubular member and operative positions protruding laterally at said one Aend of said tubular member, said gripping members passing through and being guided by said channels of said guide means when moved into their operative positions protruding from said tubular member into positions intersecting each other in pairs for gripping the hair between intersecting gripping members, said gripping members in their operative positions being adapted to support said tubular member with a curl of hair wound thereon in a position substantialy normal to the scalp and simultaneously preventing turning of said tubular members and unwinding of the hair wound thereon; and operating means for moving said gripping members between their operative and inoperative positions, said operating means comprising a reciprocable elongated mem-` ber mounted in said tubular member for axial move-- d nient therein and secured to said elongated gripping members for moving the same.

3. 4A hairv curler device, comprising, in combination, a tubular member adapted to have a strand of hair wound around the outer surface thereof and to be located with one end thereof 'adjacent the scalp; guide means comprising superimposed p-late members extending substantially transverse and secured at said end of said tubular member, said plate members defining therebetween guide chann'els extending from the interior of the tubular member to the exterior at said one end thereof; a plurality of nexible resilient elongated gripping members arranged in said tubular member, said elongated gripping members being movable substantially axially in said tubular member between inopertive positions retracted within said tubular member and operative positions protruding laterally at said one end of said tubular member, said gripping members passing through and being guided by said channels of said guide means when moved into theiroperative positions protruding from said tubular member into positions intersecting each other in pairs for gripping the hair between intersecting gripping members, said gripping members in their operative positions being adapted to support said tubular member with a curl ofhair wound thereon in a position substantially normal to the scalp and simultaneously preventing turning of said tubular member and unwinding of the hair wound thereon; and operating means for moving said gripping members between their operative and inoperative positions.

4. A hair curler device, comprising, in combination, a tubular member adapted to have a strand of hair wound around the outer surface thereof and to be located with one end thereof adjacent the scalp; guide means at said end of said tubular member, said guide means defining guide channels extending from the interior of the tubular member to the exterior at said one end thereof, said guide channels being arranged in pairs with the channels in each pair curving toward each other in a direction toward the periphery of said tubular member; a plurality of flexible resilient elongated gripping members arranged in said tubular member, said elongated gripping members being movable substantially axially in said tubular member between inoperative positions retracted within said tubular member and operative positions protruding laterally at said one end of said tubular member, said gripping members passing through and being guided by said channels of said guide Imeans when moved into their operative positions protruding from said tubular member into positions intersecting each other in pairs for gripping the hair between intersecting gripping members, said gripping members in their operative positions being adapted to support said tubular member with a curl of hair Wound thereon in a position substantially normal to the scalp and simultaneously preventing turning of said tubular member and unwinding of the hair wound thereon; and operating means for moving said gripping members between their operative and inoperative positions.

5. A hair curler device, comprising, in combination, a tubular member adapted to have a strand of hair wound around the outer surface thereof and to be located with one end thereof adjacent the scalp; guide means at said end of said tubular member, said guide means defining guide channels extending from the interior of the tubular member to the exterior at said one end thereof with each guide channel curving from a direction axially along said tubular member to a direction transverse the axis of said tubular member; a plurality of exible resilient elongated gripping members arranged in said tubular member, said elongated gripping members being movable substantially axially in said tubular member between inoperative positions retracted within said tubular member and operative positions protruding laterally at said one end of said tubular member, said gripping members passing through and being guided by said channels of said guide means when moved into their operative positions protruding from said tubular member into positions intersectinjgeaeh other 'in pairs for gripping the hair between intersecting gripping members, said gripping members in their operative 'positions being adapted to support said tubular member with a curl of hair wound thereon in a position substantially normal to the scalp and simultaneously preventing turning of said tubular member and unwinding of the hair wound thereon; and operating means for moving said gripping membersV between their operative and inoperative positions. v

6. A hair curler device, comprising, in combination, a tubular member adapted to have a strand of hair wound around the outer surface thereof and to be located with one end thereof adjacent the scalp; guide means at` said end of said tubular member, said guide means defining guide channels extending from the interior of the tubular member to the exterior at said one endl thereof with each guide channel curving from a direction axially along said tubular member to a direction substantially normal to the axis of said tubular member; a plurality of ilexible resilient elongated gripping members arranged in said tubular member, said elongated gripping members being movable substantially axially in said tubular member between inoperative positions retracted within said tubular member and operative positions protruding laterally at said one end of said tubular member, said gripping members passing through and being guided by said channels of said guide means when moved into their operative positions protruding from said tubular member into positions intersecting each other in pairs for gripping the hair etween intersecting gripping members, said gripping embers in their operative positions being adapted to support said tubular member with a curl of hair wound thereon in a position substantially normal to the scalp and simultaneously preventing turning of said tubular member and unwinding of the hair wound thereon; and operating means for moving said gripping members between their operative and inoperative positions.

7. A hair curler device, comprising, in combination, a tubular member adapted to have a strand of hair wound around the outer surface thereof and to be located with one end thereof adjacent the scalp; guide means at said end of said tubular member, said guide means defining guide channels extending from the interior of the tubular member to the exterior at said one end thereof with each guide channel curving from a direction axially along said tubular member to a direction transverse the axis of said tubular member, said guide channels being arranged in pairs with the channels in each pair curving toward each other in a direction toward the periphery of said tubular member; a plurality of flexible resilient elongated gripping members arranged in said tubular member, said elongated gripping members being movable substantially axially in said tubular member between inoperative positions retracted within said tubular member and operative positions protruding laterally at said one end of said tubular member, said gripping members passing through and being guided by said channels of said guide means when moved into their operative positions protmding from said tubular member into positions intersecting each other in pairs for gripping the hair between intersecting gripping members, said gripping members in their operative positions being adapted to support said tubular member with a curl of hair wound thereon in a position substantially normal to the scalp and simultaneously preventing turning of said tubular member and unwinding of the hair wound thereon; and operating means for moving said gripping members between their operative and inoperative positions.

S. in a hair curling device including a tubular member having elongated hair engaging members movably mounted therein and movable to positions engaging the hair for supporting said tubular member adjacent the scalp with a strand of hair wound around said tubular member, in combination, guide means for guiding said hair engaging members in the movement of the latter to positions projecting from said tubular member, said guide means comprising a first plate member fixed immovably to one end of said tubular member and having an inwardly extending central portion formed with an aperture therein, said first plate member having an outwardly facing substantially funnel-shaped surface merging into said aperture and, formed with grooves therein extending to the periphery of said plate member; and a second plate member covering said outwardly facing surface of said first plate member and defining a plurality of channels with said grooves therein through which said elongated hair engaging members are adapted to pass into positions protruding from said plate members for engaging the hair.

9. In a hair curling device including a tubular member having elongated hair engaging members movably mounted therein and movable to positions engaging the hair for supporting said tubular member adjacent the scalp with a strand of hair wound around said tubular member, in combination, guide means for guiding said hair engaging members in the movement of the latter to positions projecting from said tubular member, said guide means comprising a first plate member fixed immovably to one end of said tubular member and having an inwardly extending central portion formed with an aperture therein, said first plate member having an outwardly facing substantially funnel-shaped surface merging into said aperture and formed with grooves therein extending to the periphery of said plate member, said grooves being arranged curving toward each other in pairs; and a second inwardly curvedplate member covering said outwardly facing surface of said first plate member and defining a plurality of channels with said grooves therein through which said elongated hair engaging members are adapted to pass into positions protruding from said plate members and intersecting each other in pairs for engaging the hair.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

